Push button switch construction



y 7, 9 I K. KNUDSEN 1,313,407

PUSH mmon swxwcn CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 29. 1928 M m mil-ll a Z6" 22 g 23 \bog 20 Q /6 222 L y I INVENTOR 7/ a 4 ESSoSsiQ mm 24 m6) A) i ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES KNUD KNUDSEN, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT PUSH BUTTON SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Application filed. May29, 1928, Serial No. 281,422. Renewed November 21, 1830.

This invention relates to push button switch construction. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and thoroughly practical push button switch I which will be durable and of dependable 0 oughly practical yet simple, inexpensive and rapid way. Another object is'to provide a construction of the. above-mentioned character in which the non-metallic housing or V shell is so constructed that it may be rapidly and inexpensively molded and, moreover, by

way of molds of simple construction, Another object is to provide a push button switch. construction which will be well adapted to meet the varying conditions of hard practical use. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construct-ion, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as .will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a push button switch in assembled form and more particularly is a section as seen along the line 11 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the push button switch, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section a1 view, as'seen along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

of preferably identical construction an Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularlyto Figures 1 and 2, there is generally indicated at 10 a dome-like shell or housing provided at its lower portion with a peripheral flange 11 having suitable openings 12 therein to permit the housing 10 to be secured in place as, for example against i a wall. The upper portion of the housing 10 (as seen in Figure 1) is somewhat depressed and is provided with a central opening 13 through which projects a push button 1 1, a flange 15 at the lower end of the push button acting to limit the movement of the button 14 in upward direction. The button 14 may be made of any suitable material for coaction with the switching mechanism to be hereinafter more clearly described, and preferably and conveniently may be made of a solid insulation material such as bakelite.

The housing 10 will be seen to be substantially hollow and upon its interior end; where the housing 10 is of circular form or shape, is provided at diametrically opposed points with projections 16 and 17 (see Figure 2) which are integrally formed 01' molded with the housing or shell 10 which preferably is made of a moldable material such as bakelite, for example. The projections 16 and 17 are shaped to provide substantially horizontal end faces 18 (see also Figure 3) and the end faces 18 of the two projections 16 and 17 are preferably in the same horizontal plane. r

Inserted in and interlocked with the projections 16 and 17 are the sleeve members 20 and 21 respectively, ,both of which are 90 d hence only one need be described in detail.

In Figure 3 the sleeve insert 20 is shown partly in section and partly in side elevation, and it is to be'noted that the sleeve member 20 is exteriorly knurled so that when the bakelite is molded about it in the molding process the member 20 is securely andrigidly interlocked with the bakelit-e housing 10; the projection 16 ofthe latter acting also to form a solid support for the sleeve member 520.

The latter is interiorly threaded and projects below the face 18 of the projection 16, for purposes more clearly to be described below.

)1 sheet metal member generally indicated at 22 and preferably flat is shaped to pro vide a portion 22 of an area substantially commensurate with that of the face 18 of the projection 16, and it has an opening 22" (see Figure through which the projecting portion of the sleeve member 20-is received. Conveniently, the portion 22 has a curved or arcuate side edge, as shown at 22 in Fig ure 2, which is adapted to rest against the curved interior wall of the housing 10 immediately adjacent the face 18 of the ledge 16. The projecting portion of he sleeve member 20 is spun over as at 2O so as to clamp the portion 22 of the member 22 securely a ainst the face 18 of the projection 16, the interlitting of the curved side edge 22- with the curved interior wall of the housing 10 insuring that the member 22 does not pivot about the axis of the sleeve member 20.

The sheet metal member 22 is extended, as shown at 22 and this extended portion 22 is provided with a longitudinally extending aperture 22 generally of a rectangular shape, a slot 22 alined with the left-hand wall of the aperture 22 and of lesser width than the latter forming a channel through which a spring connecting member more clearly described below be passed into the aperture 22. Alined with the aperture 22 and at the left-hand side edge the portion 22 as seen in Figure 2, there is a rectangularly shaped recess 22', it being noted tl. a t the length of the recess 22 is about the same as the length of the aperture 22 Themember is preferably flat, as above noted, and will be seen to be capable of being easily stampee out of sheet metal.

Resting flatwise against the face 18 of the projection 1'? and secured thereto by the sleeve member 21, the construction and action of w iich are the sameas above described in connection with the sleeve member20, is a sheet metal member. generally indicated at 23 and conrenientl of substantially identical shapes as the member 22 above described,'al-. though the aperture 22 the slot 22 and the recess 22 may be and preferably are omitted. The member 23 will be seen to have a portion 23 resting against the face-18 of; the projection 1'? and a portion. 23 er'eended away from the portion 23 I e Thus, it will be seen that the members and are securely held in position within the housing 10 andthat the portions 22 a d 23 thereof respectively are positioned sub stantially diametrically opposed and are, moreover, held in a position intermediate of the upper and lower portions of the interior of the housing 10, as will be clear fronrFigure 1. lute the sleeve members 20 and 21 are threaded connecting screws and 25, to

which the conductors of the circuit to be controlled may be secured, it being noted that ample space is provided for the accommodati on within the lower portion of the dome-like shell 10 for accommodating the connecting screws and immediately adjacent portions of the conductors. The members 22 and 23 will thus be placed in electrical connection with the two conductors and to close the circuit of the latter the portions 22 and 23 of these two members respectively are bridged, under the control of the push button 1 1, by a bridging member 26. The bridging member 26 preferably takes the form of a flat sheet metal spring conveniently and preferably shaped,

as is clearly shown in Figure 1,

e The member 26 extends crosswise of the housing 10 and underneath the push button 1%; its free or right-hand end overlaps the portion 23? of the member 23. The otherzend of the member 26 is bent or curved back upon itself to form. a loop, as is indicated at 26, the extreme end portion 26 being bent over to form a lip. The member 26 is made up of a suitable spring metal. Its leftshand end is the member 22, and the loopshaped portion 26 of the lip 26 are adapted to coactwith the aperture 22 and the-recess 22 (see-also Figure 2).

.9 engaged and supported by the portion 22 of The interengagement of the member 26 with the member22- is achieved by sliding the member 26 in a; direction transversely of its length and lengthwise with respect to the portion of the member 22, the upper right-hand porti m of the'loop 26 passing through the slot 22 and thus into the aperture 22-, whence the left-hand portion of the loop 26 accommodates i elf in or springs into the recess 22 while the lip 26 comes to rest in a position overlappingthe upper surface of the portion 22 ,.as will be clear -from'Figures 1 and2. The tendency of the spring material of which the member 26 is made to straighten out the loop 26, together with the resiliency-of the elongated bridging portion of the member 26causes the latter :portion tobe urged upwardly and away from the member 23?, thus also holding the push button 14 in uppermost position- The lip 26" and the-interlocking of the loop portion 26% with t-hevmember22, above described, dependably hold the bridging member 26 in assembled relation and, moreover, in a manner to insure a wide e of: yielding. action. Moreover, the ging member 26 is very easily put in ice, thus facilitating the manufacture and can also be easily removed in case disasoem-bly or replacement necessary.

When the push button 14 is depressed, the right-hand or free portion of the bridging member 26 moves downwardly,:as: viewed in gure 1, and is brought into contact wit-h l 'iVPOltlQll 23 of the member 23 and the ciril of the conductors that are connected to the binding screws 24: and 25 is thus closed. Moreover, a dependable contact is assured since the engagement of the bridging memher 26 with the portion'23 is a rubbing engagement, due to the reaction of the loop portion 26 when under compression.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention a push button switch construction in which the several objects hereinabove noted, as well as many thoroughly practical advantages, are success'hilly achieved. It will be seen that the device is well adapted for-rapid and inexpensive manufacture, as well as for the varying conditions of hard practical use. The housing is of a shape that lends itself to rapid and inexpensive molding, while the assembly therewith of the metallic parts of the device is achieved in a thoroughly practical and reliable manner..

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In push button switch construction, in combination, a dome-like housing made of a moldable insulating material and having on the interior thereof two substantially opposed projecting portions, a metallic sleeve member threaded interiorly and molded into each of said projecting portions, each sleeve member projecting therefrom, a metal contact member supported by one of said proj ccting portions and secured in. place by said sleeve member, the latter being bent over said contact member to hold it in place, a metallic member supported by the other of said projecting portions of said housing and secured in place by the sleeve molded into the latter, a projecting portion of the sleeve being bent over said metallic member to hold it in position, a. spring bridging member having one end overhanging said first-mentioned contact member and having its other end bent back substantially upon itself and interlocked with said other contact member, the latter being apertured to receive said end portion of said spring member and having a slot through which said end portion may be passed into said aperture, a push button extending through the upper portion of said housing and engaging said spring member for operating the latter, and a pair of connecting screws, each threaded into one of said metallic sleeve members I 2. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of. a moldable insulating material and provided with a push button adjacent its upper end, said housing having molded thereinto two spacedzinteriorly threaded metal sleeve members, the latter being exposed within said housing, a

metallic contact member secured to one of said sleeve members, a metallicsupporting member secured to the other of said sleeve members, a bridging member overlapping said contact member, extending substantially underneath said push button, and yieldably supported by said supporting member, and a pair of connecting screws threaded into said sleeve members for making electrical connection to an electric circuit.

3. In push button sw1tch COIlStI'UCtlOI1,'1I1 combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and having a pushbutton slidably supported at its upper end, said housing being open at its lower'end, a pair of threaded metallic means molded into said housing and exposed to the interior thereof, contact means associated with one of said threaded means, metallic means forming a supporting extension of the other of said:

able through the open lower end of said housing. 1

4. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and having a slidable push button at one end thereof, metallic contact means having a threaded portion and molded into the interior of the side wall of said housing, contact means having a threaded portion and. molded into the interior of the side wall of saidhousing and substantially juxtaposed to said first-mentioned contact means, a bridging conductive member actuated bysaid button for interconnecting elecice trically said contactmeans, and a pair of threaded members, each for threaded interengagement with one of said threaded portions of said contact means, for making connection to an electric circuit.

5. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of a moldabl e insulating material and provided with a movable push button at one end thereof, a pairof metallic members molded into the interiorof said housing and each having secured thereto av metallic plate-like member, means operable through the other end of said housing for making electrical connection to each of said plate-like members, and means for electrically bridging said plate-like members, said means including a bridging portion and a spring portion, one of said plate-like members being related to said spring portion so as to take up the reaction of the latter.

6. In pushbutton switch construction, in

combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and having a movable push button related thereto and having a portion: of increased thickness upon the interior thereof, an interiorlythreaded metallic sleeve member molded into said portion and having a part thereof exposed, a platelike metallic member held in place by said sleeve member, the exposed portion thereof being bent over said plate member, a screw threaded into said plate member for making an electrical connection, cont-act means, and means for electrically interconnecting said contact means and said plate memberincluding a bridging portion and a spring portion supported by said plate member and acting to urge said bridging portion against said push buttoni n x 7. In push button switch constructiomin combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating materialand having a movable push button related thereto and having'a portion of increased thickness upon the interior side wall thereof, a plate-like metallic member, means for mounting said plateimember upon the interior of said housing, said means including a member molded into said portion of said housing, contact means, and means for electrically interconnecting said contact means and said plate member, said interconnecting means including a bridging portion and a spring portion associated with said plate member and acting to urge said bridging portion in a direction toward said push button.

8. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating'material and provided upon the interior thereof with two substantially opposite projections,a pair of plate-like metallicmembers, one for each of said projections, means for securing each of said plate members to one of said projections, said securing means including metallic means molded into the projection, and spring-controlled connecting mechanism interposed between one of said plate members and said push button for clec-. tricallyinterconnecting said plate members.

9. In push button switchconstruction, in

combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and provided upon the interior thereof with' two substantially opp'osite projections, av pair of plate-like metallic members, one for each of said projections, means for securing each of said plate memhere to one of said projectionasaid securing means including a threaded metallic member molded into the projection, means actuated by said push button for electrically interconnecting said two plate-like "members, and means in threaded engagement with each of saidthreaded metallic members for making electrical connection to each of said platelike members.

10. In pushbutton switch construction, in combination, a housingmade of-a moldable insulating'material and provided upon the interior thereof with two substantially 0pposite projections, a pair of plate-like metallic members, one for each of said projections, means for securing each of said plate memhere to one of said projections, said securing means including an interiorly threaded sleeve member molded into each projection and passing through the plate member, the outer end portionof said sleeve member being bent over upon the plate member, means actuated by said push button for electrically interconnecting said plate-like members, and a pair of screws, one threaded into each of said sleeve-like members, for making electrical connection to said plate-like members.

11. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made ofinsulating 'material and having a movablepush button at one end thereof, said housing having an interior portion of its'side wall of increased thickness, a plate member forming an interior extension from said enlarged side wall portion and extending interio ly thereof, said plate member having an aperture, contact means, and means actuated by said push button for making electrical contact with said contact means including a spring member having a port-ion substantially overlapping said contact means and having another portion-shaped to pass through said aperture in said plate member.

12. In push button switch tonstruction, in combination, liaising made of insulating material and having a movable push button at one end thereof, a platemember sup-ported by said housing and extending interio-rly thereof, said plate member having an elongated aperture and a slot leading thereto but of narrower width than said aperture, contact means, and means actuated by said push button for making contact with said contact means including a flat spring member having a portion for coaction with said con.- tact means and another portion bent substantially upon itself for interlocking engagement with said plate member, said latter portion being passed through said slot and into said aperture.

w 13. In push button switch constructiomin combination, a housing made of insulating material and having a movable push button at one end thereof, a plate member supported by said housing and extending interiorly thereof, contact means, and means actuated by said push button for making contact with said contact means including a spring member having a portion for c'oaction with said contact means and a portioninterlocked with said plate member.

145. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of insulating material and having a movable push button at one end thereof, a plate member supported by said housing and extending interiorly thereof, contact means, and means actuated b said push button for making contact witi said contact means including a spring member having a portion for coaction with said contact means and a portion passing twice through the plane of said plate member and supported thereby.

15. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and provided with a push button adjacent its upper end, said housing being open at its bottom end, a pair of spaced threaded metallic members molded into said housing and exposed to the interior thereof and positioned so that the axis of the threads thereof extends in a general direction outwardly toward said bottom open end of said housing, means operable by said push button for electrically interconnecting said spaced members, and a pair of threaded members, one for each of said first-mentioned threaded members, for coaction with the latter in making connection to an electric circuit, said second-mentioned pair of threaded members being operable through the bottom open end of said housing.

16. In push button switch construction, in combination, a housing made of a moldable insulating material and provided with a push button adjacent its upper end, said housing being open at its bottom end, a pair of spaced threaded metallic members molded into said housing and exposed to the interior thereof and positioned so that the axis of the threads thereof extends in a general direction outwardly toward said bottom open end of said housing, a conductive member projecting from one of said members and having its effective contact-making face exposed in an upward direction, a bridging member overlapping the upper, contactmaking face of said conductive contact member and operable by said push button, means for supporting said bridging member from the other of said pair of metallic members, and a pair of threaded members, one for each of said first-mentioned pair of members, for coaction therewith in making electrical connection to an electric circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have signed m name to this specification this 25th day of May, 1928.

KNUD KNUDSEN. 

